Fritz mink



UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE FRITZ MINK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KEYSTONE IVATCIPI CASE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WATCHGASE=PENDANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,996, dated April 6, 1897.

A li ation fil d November 18, 1895. Serial No. 568,814. (No model.)

To (LN, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRITZ MINK, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in I/Vatchcase-Pendants, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to watchcase-pendants; and it consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specificationand are shown in the accompanying drawings.

More particularly my invention relates to stem winding and setting devices in which the longitudinal movement of the stem sets its connection with either the winding or hands-setting trains. These movements of the stem are controlled by a stem-controlling spring which moves with the stem and snaps over a projection carried by the pendant. This stem-controlling spring acts to maintain the stem in either position into which it is moved. There is liability of the accidental movement of the stem by an inadvertent pull upon the crown, particularly in an old watch in which the stem-controlling spring has lost its full tension. This often results in the accidental operation of the hands-setting devices. My invention is designed to overcome this difiiculty by so constructing the devices that a longitudinal movement of the stem cannot be imparted by an accidental pull upon the crown, but can be accomplished only by the additional operation of other parts, which permit the crown and stem to be moved in the manner desired.

In carrying out my invention I employ an obstructing-piece, which is so arranged that it normally obstructs the movement of the stemcontrolling spring and thus locks the stem against movement to change its connection from the winding devices to the hands-settin g mechanism, or vice versa, but which when independentlyoperated, may be moved away, so as to permit the spring to snap over the projection and thus allow the stem to be moved by a pull or push on the crown. In my preferred construction this obstruction is carried by the stem itself, which projects up through the crown and has a slight independent movement with reference thereto for the purpose of removin the obstruction from the stemoperation of the parts.

controllingspring. A slight independent depression of the stem itself thus acts to release the stem-controlling spring and permit the The movement of the stem to release the controlling-spring is of course very slight, and is not sufficient in itself to change the connection from the win din g to the hands-settin g devices, and therefore the stem may itself be used for moving the obstruction, but it may be moved independently, if desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a watchcase-pendant embodying my invention with the stem and bow in elevation. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the stem-eontrolling spring. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the nut which controls the operation of the stem-controlling spring.

A is the body of the pendant.

B is the how, the ends of which are shown inserted in the pendant and locked therein by a locking-collar O.

D is the crown.

E is the stem, which controls the hands-setting and winding mechanism, being moved longitudinally to connect either with the winding or hands-setting devices.

F is the stem-controlling spring, which is carried by the crown D and is movable'therewith. As shown, this spring F consists of an externally-tilreaded collar G, adapted to be screwed into thecenter of the crown D, and provided with spring-arms II, having projections 7L '1', the upper of which is a short snap projection and the lower a longer stop projection adapted to stop the movement of the spring and thus limit the longitudinal upward movement of the stem E. I

The base of the collar G rests on a shoulder I on the stem, which has a square or non-circular portion J projecting up through a complementary aperture K in the collar, so that the stem may move longitudinally through the collar G in a downward direction, but will turn with it.

The upward end L of the stem projects through the top of the crown D, and is provided with a nut M, between which and the top of the collar G is interposed a spring N,

which normally maintains the stem raised, with its upper end projecting slightly beyond the top of the crown D, as shown in Fig. 1, but permits the stem to be depressed independently of the movement of the crown. The stem thus has a slight longitudinal movement in the crown D.

O is a nut carried by the pendant and having a projection 0 arranged in the path of the projections of the controlling-spring F. lVhen the spring F is moved longitudinally, the projections h snap over the projection o, and the pressure of the spring-arms against the ledge or projection 0 n'iaintains the stem in a raised or depressed position, while pern'iitting'it to be turned freely in either one position or the other to operate the handssetting or winding mechanism. The stops strike the projection 0 when the stemis raised and thus limit the upward movement and prevent the stem from being pulled out of the pendant.

The nut O, which carries the projection o, is preferably secured to the pendant by screwthreads, as shown, so that it may be adjusted.

The spring-arms ll extend along the body of the stem E, the upper portion of which is of reduced diameter to permit the spring arms to move inward when they are pressed in in passing over the projection 0, but the stem is enlarged, as at P, at that portion which is immediately adjacent to the ends of the springs, so as to obstruct the inward movement of the springs under the action of the projection or ledge 0. This is the normal position occupied by the stem, and it is apparent that at such times the stem cannot be pulled upward by pulling the crown, because the enlargement I prevents the compression of the spring-arms II to permit the projections 7L to snap over the ledge 0. To permit this upward movement, for the purpose of bringing the extremity of the stem into operative engagement with the hands-setting mechanism, it is necessary first to depress the stem, so as to move the enlargement P below the ends of the spring-arms II. This is accomplished by pressing upon the projecting end or nut M at the top of the crown, which forces down the stem, so as to move the enlargement P below the ends of the springs II. The crown may then be pulled upward and the projections 72 will snap over the ledge 0, elevating the stem into position to engage the handssetting devices.

As the spring N below the nut Iii tends to hold the stem elevated with reference to the crown, the stem must be held depressed while the crown is pulled. This may be readily accomplished by pressing upon the nut M with the first finger while the crown is grasped by second finger and thumb and operated. \Vhen the nut M is released, the spring immediately elevates the stem and brings the enlargement opposite the ends of the springs H, holding them against action until the stem is again pressed inward, when crown and stem may be pushed in, snapping the projections h over the ledge 0 and returning the parts into the position shown in Fig. 1. Thus the enlargement P acts to prevent any accidental movement of the stem and effectively prevents the accidei'ital movement of thehands. The extent of movement that is required to move the enlargement 1 out of position to obstruct the operation of the springs ll is very slight, and this slight movement of the stem will not cause disengagement with the winding or hand s-setting devices, nor does it necessitate a material or unsightly extension of the extremity of the stem beyond the top of the crown.

\Vhile I have shown and described my improvements embracing the movable stem p revided with the spring-obstructing projection in connection with a stem-controlling spring of the particular character shown in my Patent No. 505511741, dated September 25, 1Slf), it will be understood that my improvements may be employed with other forms of stem-controlling springs and that the details of construction shown may be varied without departing from the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a stem-control] ing spring, a projection over which the spring snapped when moved longitudinally and crown operatively connected with the spring for moving it, of the stem carried by the crown. and adapted to be moved thereby, but having an independent movement with re terence thereto and carrying an obstruction to pre vent the depression of the stem-controlling spring by the projection over which it is snapped except when the stem is moved independently with reference to the crown.

2. The combination, with a stem-controlling spring, a pro jeetion over which the stem-controlling spring is snapped when it is moved longitudinally, a stem movable with the stemcontrolling spring, and an obstruction movable independently of the stemcontrollin g spring to obstruct the movement of the stemcontrollingspring over the projection except when it is independently operated.

The combination with the crown ,the stem moving therewith, but having an independent movement with reference thereto, a stem-controlling spring moving with the crown, a projection in the path of the spring over which it is snapped when moved, and an obstruction carried by the stem and acting upon the stemcontrolling spring to prevent its movement except when the stem is operated independently of the crown, and a spring acting upon the stem to hold it in normal position with rel?- erence to the crown with the obstruction acting to prevent the operation of the stenrcontrolling spring.

4. The combination, with. a stem-controlling spring, a projection over which'the stemcontrolling spring is snapped when itis moved. longitudinally, a stem movable with the stemeontrolling spring, and an obstruction movable independently of the stem-controlling spring to obstruct the movement of the stemcontrolling spring over the projection except when it is independently operated, and a spring to hold the independently-1novable obstruction in normal position to permit the operation of the stem-controlling spring.

5. The combination withawatchcase-pendant of a projection carried thereby, a movable crown, a stem-controlling spring carried thereby and adapted when moved to snap over the projection carried by the pendant, a stem carried by the crown and movable therewith but having a slight independent movement with reference thereto and projecting up through the top of the crown, and an obstruction carried by the stem and acting to prevent the movement of the stemcontrolling spring over the projection carried by the pendant except when the stem is moved independently of the crown.

0. The combination with a watchcase-pendant of a projection carried thereby, a movable crown, a stem-controlling spring carried thereby and adapted when moved to snap over the projection carried by the pendant, a stem carried by the crown and movable therewith but having a slight independent movement with reference thereto and projecting up through the top of the crown, and an obstruction carried by the stem and acting to prevent the movement of the stemcontrolling spring over the projection carried by the pendant except when the stem is moved independently of the crown, and a spring acting on the stem to hold it normally raised in the crown with its end projecting through the top thereof with the obstruction portion acting to obstruct the movement of the stem-controlling spring.

7. The combination of a watchcase-pendant, a projection carried thereby, a crown, a spring having a body G by which it is con nected with the crown and spring-arms H adapted when the spring is moved to snap over the projection carried by the pendant, the stem projecting through the crown and having the non-circular portion extending through a complementary aperture in the body G of the spring, with a shoulder I resting against the body G, the enlargement or obstruction P carried by the stem and located adjacent to the ends of the spring-arms H to prevent the compression thereof except when the stem is moved in the crown, and the spring N normally holding the stem in a raised position in the crown.

8. The combination with the crown, of a stem yieldingly connected thereto and movable therewith and projecting through the crown, a stem-controlling spring, and an obstrnction carried by the stem and acting to normally prevent the movement of the stemcontrolling spring except when the stem is independently moved on its yielding connection with the crown.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

FRITZ MINK.

Witnesses Ennns'r iiowxnn HUNTER, R. M. KELLY. 

